Health chair construction



March 30, 1954 FlUMEDORo 2,673,736

HEALTH CHAIR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 23, 1952 Patented Mar. 30, 1954UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved health chair construction of thetype including a back rest and a supporting bed member for supportingthe body in various exercising positions, as well as positions conduciveto rest and relaxation.

In moving th body into positions which are known to induce relaxationand rest, it is Well known that desirable results are obtained bylocating the feet in various raised positions with respect to the restof the body.

The present invention aims to devise an im proved chair constructionparticularly directed to facilitating the location of the feet in anyone of a number of raised positions while the remainder of the body isin a prone position. It is also an object of the invention to combine ina chair construction novel adjustability features for a body supportingelement whereby a series of exercising positions may readily be assumed.Still another object of the invention is to devise a simple and easilyoperated adjustable chair structure which can be cheaply manufacturedand conveniently assembled and used.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understoodand appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentof the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view showing the improved chair member of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the structure shown in the drawing, numeral 2 denotes a supportingbed member, preferably consisting of a flat rigid panel of wood or otherdesired material, arranged to provide a hard unyielding surface normallylying in a horizontal plane. The supporting bed member 2 is formed witha head portion 2a which is adapted to serve as a back rest, and a footportion 2b, and is supported at two opposite sides by panels 4 and 6which are of tapering shape, as suggested in Fig. 2.

A base section maintains the supporting bed member in a raised position,such as that shown in Fig. 2, and this base section includes arectangular shaped frame or enclosure consisting of side walls 8 and Iand end walls l2 and 14. These wall portions are solidly secured to oneanother like. It will be observed that the end wall 52 is of a lesserheight than the end wall M, as viewed in Fig. 2.

At one side of the rectangular frame, and preferably supported on theupper edge of the end wall I4, is a shaft it which has pivotally supported at either end thereof the two side panels 4 and 6 of thesupporting bed member. The shaft It also passes through two verticalframe pieces I 8 and 20 which carry rungs, as 22, 24 and 2t, occurringin spaced relation to comprise a ladder element. By means of thisarrangement it will be seen that the supporting bed member 2 is free topivot in a vertical direction about the shaft 15.

In accordance with the invention means are provided for allowing anoperator, while reclining on the supporting bed member, to raise andlower the bed 2 and its head portion 2a by means of a pair of pivotedadjustment arms 23 and 39. These arms are solidly secured to a shaft 32rotatably mounted through the side panels 5 and 6 at the pointsindicated in Fig. 2. The arms are formed at their ends with handleportions, as shown, and at opposite extremities of respective arms Ihave provided cam portions, as 34 and 36, one of which is more clearlyshown in Fig. 2. These cam members 34 and 36 are adapted to engageagainst vertical supporting leg members 38 and 40 solidly secured to theside walls 8 and. ll] of the base section. It will thus be seen,therefore, that by placing or positioning the arms 28 and 30 in either aforward position, such as that shown in Fig. 2, or in a fully loweredposition, such as that shown in Fig. 1, the supporting bed member willnormally occur in a tru horizontally disposed position. However, theoperator may, by rotating the arms through various intermediatepositions, cause the head portion of the supporting bed member to beraised throughout an appreciable distance, thereby varying the angle ofinclination at which the bed member is disposed. It will also be notedthat with the arms in a position such as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2,an operator may carry out the raising and lowering operation whileresting on the bed member with th head portionZa supporting the upperportion of the body. In an alternative position the operator may slideforwardly and assume a completely prone position and then reachbackwardly and move the arms upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1.These two types of exercise require the use of various muscles which canbe desirably strengthened and stimulated thereby.

by suitabl fastenings such as screws, nails, or the Cooperating with thehead rest in carrying out either one of thes operations described is apillow member indicated in the drawings by the numeral 42. The pillowmember is pivotally supported between the vertical supports of the headportion 2a on a shaft 42a, as shown in Fig. 2. This member is of atriangular shape, as viewed in cross-section and shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the effect of which is to provide variation in the angle ofinclination at which the head and shoulders of the operator may besupported. The two positions of the rotatable pillow member are clearlyshown, one being in the full line crosssectional showing of Fig. 2 andthe other being represented by the dotted line position indicated inFig. 2.

It is pointed out that in order to maintain the supporting head portion2a, as well as the bed member free to pivot with movement of the twoarms and their cam portions, it is necessary to secure the two sidepanels together independently of the base section, and this is providedfor by means of a cross piece 44 which is solidly secured between theends of the side panels, and which'is shaped to snugly receive at theupper edge thereof the two arms 28 and 30 when they are in the loweredposition shown in Fig. 1. If desired, the cross piece 44 may be notchedout to form shoulders on which the arms 28 and 30 may rest.

Further cooperating with the pivoting supporting bed member and the backrest is the ladder element already described, including the spaced rungs22, 24 and 26, which are best shown in Fig. 3. The location of theladder element is chosen with reference to the position of the back restand pillow member so that the operator, while lying on his back with hishead supported on the pillow member 42, may engage the feet against therungs and perform various desired exercises, or, the feet may be merelysupported on any one of the rungs to provide a desired degree ofelevation of the feet relative to the remainder of the body and head andthereby induce relaxation of the back and leg muscles.

It will be apparent that by adjusting the position of the head portionof the bed member, or by adjusting the position of the pillow member 42,a series of exercising positions may be assumed while the feet arebearing against or resting upon any one of the rungs of the ladderelement. Therefore, a unique and novel apparatus is provided for usingmany different muscles in the body, as well as facilitating a wide rangeof positions of rest with the body inv an inclined position. The sidepanels 4 and 6 may also be formed with slots 50 to provide hand gripsfor holding the body while using the rungs.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention it should beunderstood that changes and modifications may be made in line with thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. An improved chair construction comprising a base section, said basesection including a rectangularly shaped frame having spaced-apart sidesconnected at the front and rear of the frame,

4 by end walls, vertical supporting legs attached externally of the saidsides at the front and rear of the base section frame, a supporting bedmember pivotally mounted above the base section at the front thereof, apair of side rails attached at opposite edges of the supporting bedmember, said side rails being located externally of the said supportinglegs and in spaced relation to the sides of the frame, a shafttransversely disposed through the side rails, a pairof cam lever memberspivotally received on the shaft and located between the side rails andthe said sides of the base section, said cam members presenting cam or(J surfaces, adapted to rest upon the upper extremities of thesupporting legs at the rear of the said frame and to adjustably supportthe bed member.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, in which the cam lever members areformed with elongated handle portions projecting upwardly above the saidbed member.

3. A structure as definedin claim 2, in which the elongated handleportions are recessed at their upper edges to produce an arm rest in oneposition of rotation thereof.

4. A structure as defined in claim 1, including a head portioncomprising a pair of inclined support members rigidly secured to the bedmember.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1, including a head portion rigidlysecured to the bed mem oer, said head portion including a pair ofspacedapart supports joined at their upper extremities, and anadjustable pillow member pivotally supported between the saidspaced-apart supports.

6. A structure as defined in claim 1, including a head rest consistingof two spaced-apart inclined supports joined at their upper extremity, ashaft transversely disposed between the supports,

* a pillow member pivotally mounted on the shaft,

said pillow member being substantially triangular in cross-section andconstructed and arranged to provide varying positions of adjustmentrelative to the bed member.

'7. A structure as defined in claim 1, in which the vertical supportinglegs at the front of the frame extend upwardly above the bed member anda plurality of rung members transversely disposed between the upwardlyprojecting portions of the legs tocomprise a ladder member.

ALI- J'. FIUMEDORO.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 329,653 Kitchen Nov. 3, 1885 342,020 Kitchen May 18, 1886781,328 Brown Jan. 31, 1905 1,539,214 Shockey May 26, 1925 1,641,188Mittag Sept. 6, 1927 2,562,339 Socol .7 July 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 358,890 Great Britain, Oct. 9, 1931

